Steering damper...

davek0974 · Sep 19, 2010

Hi all,

I see that the test for a steering damper is to compress/extend it and check for loose / tight areas.

Should the damper be spring loaded???

I have dropped my one off to get the track-rod out and it took quite some force to compress it enough to get it out of the rod bracket, it then sprang open on its own.

Is that normal????

DAve

davek0974 · Sep 19, 2010

A quick look at RAVE shows it should have the same resistance either way which makes sense, so what is wrong wih this one??? Its a De-Carbon unit and does not look too old, i guess i'll order a new one??

Is Armstrong a reasonable make or do i go for the more exotic/expensive ones????

discool · Sep 19, 2010

No springs in any steering dampers so a bog standard oil damper will just compress and stay there, you may have uprated gas/oil damper then it would be under a bit of pressure but not that much. Armstrong dampers will do fine.

G-man · Sep 19, 2010

discool said:
No springs in any steering dampers so a bog standard oil damper will just compress and stay there, you may have uprated gas/oil damper then it would be under a bit of pressure but not that much. Armstrong dampers will do fine.

i'm gonna have to correct you.......

Terrafirma RTC return to centre Steering Damper - Defender Fitment Only

rtc (return to centre) steering dampers have a spring

other than that they are just a shock absorber

discool · Sep 19, 2010

G-man said:
i'm gonna have to correct you.......

Terrafirma RTC return to centre Steering Damper - Defender Fitment Only

rtc (return to centre) steering dampers have a spring

other than that they are just a shock absorber

I'm aware of that damper, but as this is a disco forum I don't think there any point in mentioning what is available for other vehicles.

davek0974 · Sep 19, 2010

I'm guessing then that either its a buggered unit or someone has fitted a wrong item.

I would think that the amount of force - it was difficult to get the stud out of the bracket - would also be affecting the steering too.

I'll order one up.

Thanks

Dave

davek0974 · Sep 19, 2010

discool said:
No springs in any steering dampers so a bog standard oil damper will just compress and stay there, you may have uprated gas/oil damper then it would be under a bit of pressure but not that much. Armstrong dampers will do fine.

Thinking about that, even if it WAS uprated, surely ANY amount of spring bias would upset the steering??

Mr Noisy · Sep 19, 2010

I'd like an RTC damper for mine.

I have the damper up front, but the hard part is finding a clamp on style defender bracket to fit my HD bars.

I wonder if fender bars come with an HD bracket bar. Hmmm!

Edit: bollocks, just found out fender damper mounts to oem bar end, no separate bracket required.

Need to make one!

discool · Sep 19, 2010

Some Defenders have bad or lack off self-centering hence a damper to over come that problem, a problem that Discoverys don't normally have.

Mr Noisy · Sep 19, 2010

I find the disco very poor at self centering, has sometimes caused me quite a difficulty at roundabouts etc.

12.5" Tyres on -50mm offset rims must be the cause.

Definitely going to look into this now, had forgotten about it. Thanks for reminding me folks

Steering damper...

davek0974

Well-Known Member

davek0974

Well-Known Member

discool

Well-Known Member

G-man

BBQ king

discool

Well-Known Member

davek0974

Well-Known Member

davek0974

Well-Known Member

Mr Noisy

Coming in your ears.

discool

Well-Known Member

Mr Noisy

Coming in your ears.

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